OISC Immigration Training & CPD

Course

OISC Level 1 including a mock Level 1 Assessment and Q&A session

Dates

As above

Venue

Royal Mint Court,Tower Hill, an iconic building  in Central London (pictured). 

Address: 4 Royal Mint Court, London, EC3N 4HJ.

Nearest tube station Tower Hill, DLR station Tower Gateway (both Zone 1). Map is available here.

Online/Skype attendance

Yes, available at a discounted price as below

Who is it for?

Basic (but intensive) 1 day or 2 half-days very practical course for those who are becoming immigration advisers and preparing to be registered at OISC Level 1; for solicitors and those who are already accredited by The OISC but wish to improve their knowledge; for those who work for community groups, councils and Citizens Advice Bureau.

Cost

£450 + VAT

If attending via Skype or similar (will be advised) only £200 + VAT

10% discount for customers who in the past made a Schengen or UK visa application through us or our sister company Multi Travel Visas

Booking and payment

Please email info@1st4immigration.com . We accept payment by cheques, cash and bank transfers.

Who we are?

The course is offered by our company, 1^st 4Immigration Ltd, which is a practising immigration company, registered by The OISC at a highly respectable Level 2.

We are also accredited by the UK Border Agency in Croydon and submit applications using Premium service for accredited representatives. We provide biometric appointments every week (Tier 1, Spouse/Partner etc) and we have permanent slots to submit Settlement (ILR) applications every week without appointments.  We have almost 100% success rate! 

We do not just teach the Rules - we practice them in our day-to-day work!

Throughout the years of our work with British, Schengen, Russian, Indian and other visas we have been focusing on explaining our clients the complicated visa rules in a plain language. Our courses are designed in a similar way. We support the theory with the real case studies from our own experience.  We include a mock Level 1 Assessment. Questions & Answers session - prepare your questions in advance to win a prize!

CONTACT US

Email: info@1st4immigration.com with our ‘trademark’ fast response on the same day. Website: www.1st4immigration.com

Tutor

Natalia Andrews, Level 2 OISC-registered Immigration Adviser.

Natalia handles the cases herself on day-to-day basis and runs this successful immigration company. She particularly specialises in Points-Based System visas (Tier 1 General, PSW, Tier 2, Tier 4 etc), applications for Settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain), European law applications (EEA Residence Card etc), advice for Bulgarian/Romanian nationals. Natalia has particular in-depth knowledge of Family visas, having experienced herself the process of a Fiancee visa, then a Spouse visa, Indefinite Leave to Remain and eventually, British Citizenship. She now holds dual nationality.

PROGRAMME of a whole day course (Programme of 2 half-day courses is the same but split into 2 evenings, from 3.30pm to 8pm):

10.30 – 11.45

1) Immigration, the Basics:

• What is an Entry Clearance, visa, leave to enter, leave to remain, Indefinite Leave to Remain. What is Switching and how to check if it is allowed.
• What is a Date of Application and why it is important, especially if the Rules are about to change or if the fees change or if a visa is about to expire.

2) Sources of immigration information:UK Immigration Rules, policy guidance, UK Border Agency website and how to contact them.

3) Visiting the UK Rules:

• Who needs a visa, conditions of stay (no work etc), duration of visa/stay, categories such as General, Family Visitor, Business Visitor, Student Visitor etc.
• Most common reasons for a refusal. 
• Real case studies from our experience.

4) Studying in the UK rules:

• Difference between Tier 4 (General) Student and Student Visitor.
• Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS): how it is assigned and where to find a Register of Sponsors, importance of a Highly Trusted Sponsor status.
• What courses can be studied.
• English language courses.
• English and Funds requirements.  
• Tier 4 (Child) Students including examples from our real cases.
• How to apply and how long visas are valid for.
• When it is possible to apply inside the UK: eligibility and Postal/Premium service.
• Rights to work while studying and what’s next after studying, especially when Post-Study Category will be closed.
• Frequently asked questions: a Student is changing a course; or changing a sponsor’; or needs to extend a visa to complete the course or to start a new course; what is a Student failed Dissertation but a visa is about to expire.

11.45 – 12.00

Tea break

12.00 – 13.30

5) Working in the UK rules:

• Points-Based System overview: Tiers 1-5.  
• Tier 1 General (extensions) including rules for Dependants, how to apply (Postal and Premium service) and commonly asked questions on Earnings, difference between the Rules before and after 6 April 2010 and after 19 July 2010. How this leads to Settlement (ILR) and how to apply.  
• Post-Study Work(before it closes in April 2012) including how to apply (Postal and Premium service) and frequently asked questions such as when a Student failed a dissertation etc.  
• Tier 2 category, sub-categories.   
• How Sponsorship works, where to find a Register of Sponsors, how to apply for Sponsorship.
• Certificate of Sponsorship: how it is assigned.
• CoS for Tier 2 General: when annual limit applies, Shortage Occupation List, Resident Labour Market test, Code of Practice and appropriate salary levels, employing those on PSW visas.
• How to apply (Postal and Premium service) and frequently asked questions, such as when a client is changing an employer or when a client is extending to work for the same employer.  
• How Biometric Residence Permits are issued. 
• Examples from our real cases. 
• Ancestral visa route (non-PBS) and a route to settlement.  
• Summary of the proposed new rules, based on our Blog posting   About those ‘new visa rules’ here

13.30 – 14.00

Lunch break

14.00 - 15.30

6) Family Visas: 

• Spouse.
• Unmarried Partner.
• Fiancee.
• Recent change in minimum age based on the Supreme Court ruling.
• Children including an issue of a Sole Responsibility Test
• Elderly Dependant Parents including common reasons for refusals (financial dependency is not proven, how emotional dependency can help etc).
• All above include a procedure how to apply in-UK or abroad, forms, duration of granted visas, conditions (no benefits etc), routes to Settlement.
• Maintenance and Accommodation and English language requirement
• Most commonly asked questions, such as if a settled partner is claiming benefits, if a client can switch to a Spouse/Partner visa while in the UK as a Student and others.
• Examples from our real cases.
• Summary of the proposed new rules on Family Migration, based on our Blog posting About those ‘new rules’ – Part 2, Family Visas
• If you are looking for a more detailed course on Family Migration  please refer to our OISC Level 2 course planned for late January. Family Migration is one of our main Specialities.

 7) Settlement (Indefinite Leave to Remain)

• Summary of routes (work, family etc).
• Route based on 5 years of working including HSMP Judicial Review and via Ancestral route.
• Rules on absences from the UK and available exceptions.
• Family visas route for partners and their children.
• Life in the UK Test.
• Examples from our real cases, Settlement (ILR) is one of our main specialities.  
• Long Residence (brief introduction, for in-depth coverage please refer to our OISC Level 2 course, which is planned for late January). 

15.30 – 15.45

Tea break

15.45 – 17.15

8) EU/EEA Regulations including brief introduction to ECHR:

• Main points and main differences from the Immigration Rules.
• Rules for European citizens.
• What is 'Exercising Treaty Rights'.
• Rules for non-EEA family members of European citizens, how to apply for Family Permits, EEA Residence Card and permanent residency.
• Rules for Bulgarian/Romanian citizens.
• Introduction to European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).  
• For more complicated cases, such as Retaining Residency rights  please refer to our OISC Level 2 course planned for late January

 9) British Citizenship

• Naturalisation for spouses of British citizens.
• Naturalisation for other non-EU citizens.
• Naturalisation for European citizens.
• Registration of children born abroad including children of parents. who became settled or British citizens themselves.

18.00 – 19.00

10) Mock OISC Level 1 Assessment and announcement of the results  

Certificates of attendance will be issued on the day. Mock Level 1 Assessment will be marked and individual results emailed within a week.